h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I *am* darn lucky I went pop and kerplooey there, Teuchter. I'd like to have a great big Atelier shout out to the gang at the Last Chance Saloon in Elliston, Montana for saving my bacon: Vickie, Art, Blair, Dave, Joe and Mike.

*Don't listen, Ag. You're upset enough already.

I got my cookies baked. 14 dozen of them. But there was a slight hitch. I had intended to make oatmeal raisin. Turns out I had all of the ingredients except the oatmeal and the raisins. I could have sworn I had both. I did have boxes of both, but unfortunately they were both nearly empty. I do not remember emptying either one. It must have been Minerva. I had already been shopping once today and didn't want to go back out. So, I baked toll house, lemon with almonds and chocolate peanut butter. And......I only ate one cookie. A lemon one.

Ag, were you carrying an umbrella? And were they American tourists? Because when I'm lost I always ask someone with an umbrella. I mean, that's what one naturaly does. You do know a lot about London and would ~make~ a fabulous tour guide, but I am at a loss as to how total strangers automatically know this. Perhaps we could apply for a grant and make a study. I will volunteer to move to London and supervise the data collection.

[Hands Ag a box of plates to smash...]

to the Last Chance Saloon!

Every once in a while I'll find a pub or bar that really feels like home... We've just added a third one to our list - Tanstaafl, over in Arlington. They've got a really nice bunch of people there, and on Thursdays they do a bluegrass picking circle which really kicks some donkey.

Tries to shout out loud enough to be heard in Montana.

And I will volunteer to carry an umbrella and give tourists false and completely misleading directions about London.

"The Gap is a large, flightless bird that habituates the London Underground. Be sure and look up as you're entering the train, because it likes to swoop down and attack unwary travelers."

IT'S FIXED!

*gives a shout, collapses coughing from all the dust she's stirred up today*

On the other hand, I've found things I'd forgotten were missing!

[RNick - on the road again]

Amy, how badly are those seatbelts chewed up? You might want to replace them, you don't want to tempt fate again.

They're getting replaced. In fact, when we looked at the car, that's the first thing I insisted on for the driver's seat (just discovered the right rear seltbelt last night--it'd been tucked behind the seat). Since the front seat seatbelts are the kind with the lap belt and shoulder belt separate (the shoulder belt moving automatically when you turn the ignition on or open the door (opposite directions, of course)) it's not quite as dire as it sounds.

On an unrelated note:

I'd had a cold (shortly after the accident) that tried to move into my sinuses (as usual) that I managed to chase out, and that then tried to move into my chest (very unusual--I literally cannot remember the last time I had a chest cold!). I slathered Vicks above where my chest was feeling tight, and it went away. I've had a cough, off and on, for about a week or so, maybe 2. Today, what with dust-raising, I've been couphing fairly steadily. I stopped packing 2-3 hours ago, and I'm still coughing (could barely read Faith a 3-minute-long story). The cough is unproductive and the best description I can give of the sound is that it sounds like a smoker's morning cough. I've never smoked. Lots of second-hand smoke, but even that was years ago. Hm, anything else relevent...? Oh, yeah, 2 days this week (not today though) I've been helping paint a sign with oil-based enamel, so some nice fumes going on too. I don't hink the coughing is related to the accident, because, while the only pain I had was from the shoulder belt (got the wind knocked out of me) and a bumped shin, the coughing didn't start until well over a week afterwards. Surely I would've been coughing before then? Plus, like I said, I've had a cold in between, and the xray the night of the accident was clean. Of course, now that I'm typing this, I'm not coughing. Guess it's like taking the car in and it behaving for the mechanic

fg, good to hear the car got fixed!

Amy, get thee to a doctor. That doesn't sound good.

My mother is here, which is great, love the woman to death. But when she's around, I eat like crap, and frankly, I'm feeling it today. Kind of lethargic and just...ugh.

But I don't have time until after Thursday Unless, of course, the relocation date gets changed this Tuesday again.

I forgot to say that I can breathe fine, except when it comes out loudly. But then, I suppose a cold could've turned into bronchitis, especially with chest-ouchiness preceding (though the *inside* didn't hurt, once my breath came back)

>and on Thursdays they do a bluegrass picking circle which really kicks some donkey.<

That sounds reet , Lentilla

Glad the car is sorted FG!

I didn't see your news until just now, FG That's great!

Mustn't hurt kids who won't go to sleep, mustn't hurt kids who won't go to sleep

If you have the urge to cosh somebody over the head to render them unconscious ... pick me! pick me!

Just over an hour until I can take another does of pain relief.

Mol

Great to hear the car is fixed -- here's to the Last Chance!

And to the Tanstaafl -- a Robert Heinlein place that does bluegrass.

" The only real problem with it is that it's a stick, and I currently don't have time to learn to drive it, so I'm just as stranded, grocery-shopping-wise, as before I got my license. sure, I can walk to the store, but there's only so much you can fit underneath a stroller (that Faith's technically too big for now, anyway...) "

Walking home carrying groceries is the pits -- makes me feel like a big lumpy pack mule!


As for learning to drive a stick--got a trick for you.

Watch the driver's foot -- how fast is Tom depressing the peddle? When I learned, I just watched my friend's foot, and imitated the speed as I sat next to her (admittedly, for about half an hour of imitating, but still). You know, like you'd press a nonexistent brake peddle when you're nervous about someone's driving? I learned to drive that stick without *ever* doing the herky-jerky.

Totally unlike when I tried to learn to drive stick in my dad's old Volvo...no, I don't think we'll go there.

"I had a bit too much of an adventure yesterday."

Wow, thank Bob you were on the downhill side of the Pass!

I hope you can get it fixed; getting a new vehicle is a major pain...